Sunday, December 18, 2011

Food Fumbles: 10 Nutrition Mistakes You Might Be Making - And How To Fix Them

I'm gonna give you a few of these to read, the rest of the article will be on this link: Food Fumbles
 
FOOD FUMBLE
WAITING TOO LONG
BETWEEN MEALS

"Often, school and work would keep me so busy that I would end up being an hour or two late in eating my meal. If you wait too long between meals, blood glucose levels drop, and when glucose is in short supply, the body begins to break down muscle for energy."
 
THE FIX
"To help me get in the habit of eating every three hours, I set the timer on my watch. Now, no matter what I'm doing, I never forget to eat my meals."
 
BONUS TIP:
"Try setting the alarm on your watch or clock, and invest in a good cooler. Some coolers come with built-in clocks and timers, so you'll have one less excuse for missing a meal." 
 
FOOD FUMBLE
ZERO SODIUM

"I believed that any amount of sodium (salt) would make me retain excess water, so I cut out all salt containing foods to avoid looking 'puffy.' The truth is, sodium helps regulate the body's fluid balance, and consuming too little has the potential to initiate water retention. When sodium levels dip too low, it can also negatively impact nerve and muscle function, causing muscle cramps and weakness. Back then, I was cramping up all the time!"
 
THE FIX
"I adjusted my diet to incorporate a moderate amount of sodium. Not only did this help reduce the occurrence of muscle cramps, but it also made dieting more manageable by adding more flavor to my food."
 
BONUS TIP:
"Write down everything you eat in one day, and beside each food item, note the sodium content. (This information can most often be found on the package, listed in milligrams). Calculate your daily intake by adding together the amount of sodium in each of the foods you consume."
 
FOOD FUMBLE
COUNTING ALL CALORIES EQUAL

"My first 'diet' consisted mainly of highly processed foods like crackers, deli meats, frozen entrees and sugar-laden yogurt, cereal and protein bars. At the time, I believed that 'all calories [were] created equal,' and as long as I counted every calorie, I would achieve the look I was after. Even though I maintained a strict daily calorie intake and worked out regularly, I was skinny fat."
 
THE FIX
"I ditched the processed foods for whole foods. I replaced sugary foods with slower-digesting complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice and fibrous veggies; increased my intake of lean proteins; and incorporated healthy fats in the form of nuts and salmon. Within a few months of switching, I began to see drastic changes in my physique, losing more fat while building lean muscle."
 
BONUS TIP:
TIP: "When choosing foods for your diet, select items in their most natural form. Typically, most healthy unprocessed foods tend to be located around the perimeter of the grocery store (i.e., fruits and vegetable section, and seafood and meat counter). And as a rule of thumb when buying packaged foods, steer clear of items that have a long list of ingredients, and those with 'low fat,' 'fat-free' and 'sugar-free' claims on their labels."
 

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